The case of two armed and dangerous men from Halifax has taken a twist. The pair is believed to be in Greater Moncton and now there are indications they may have been involved with some ATM thefts in the area.
It appears two people arrested in connection with an attempted ATM theft at a gas station on Mountain Road last week have a connection to Andrew Jason Hudder and Brandon Joseph Mombourquette.
“When our members arrived at the scene, two people were observed leaving the area,” says Codiac RCMP Const. Damien Theriault. “One of them, Donald Thorne, was arrested by our members. He was charged with breaking and entering.”
Thorne’s bail hearing was held Wednesday and he was released on several conditions. He is to check in with local police three times a week, observe a curfew between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. and have no contact with Hudder or Mombourquette.
He was also ordered to have no contact with his girlfriend, 27-year-old Ashley Murphy of Moncton, who was also charged in connection with the incident at the gas station.
Thorne will be returning to a residence in Nova Scotia until his next court appearance on Oct. 16.
Annie LeBlanc lives close to the gas station. She says she is happy some of the pieces are falling into place but she is still nervous.
“That is a little concerning, it’s very concerning actually, especially when something like that happens three or four houses down from where you live,” says LeBlanc.
Mombourquette and Hudder were the subjects of a dramatic police chase through residential streets in Dieppe on Sept. 11.
While police failed to catch the pair, they are still believed to be in the area.
Police say Mombourquette, 28, was arrested during a traffic stop in Halifax on May 26, 2009. They say a loaded handgun was found in his vehicle. Mombourquette was charged with seven weapon-related offences in connection with the case.
Mombourquette was due to appear in court on March 1 but police say he failed to show and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Police are also looking for Hudder, 26, who is facing several charges in connection with a shooting in Halifax’s north end.
Police say several shots were fired from a vehicle at a taxi as it travelled north along Robie Street, near McCully Street, on Nov. 3, 2012.
The 48-year-old taxi driver had a male passenger in his vehicle at the time.
Hudder is charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault with a weapon and nine weapons-related offences. A nationwide warrant was issued for his arrest on Nov. 15, 2012.
The RCMP issued a release last week stating that Mombourquette and Hudder are believed to be travelling together throughout Atlantic Canada and asking for the public’s help in locating them.
Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $2,000 for information leading to their arrests.
Mombourquette is described as a white man with brown hair and brown eyes. He is six-feet-tall and weighs 165 pounds.
Hudder is described as a white man with brown hair and brown eyes. He is six-foot-two and weighs 165 pounds.
Police say the men should not be approached if spotted. Anyone with information on their whereabouts is asked to contact police.
With files from CTV Atlantic's David Bell